


You May Not Believe It...

by 1f_this_be_madness



Category: Queen (Band)
Genre: Angry Roger Taylor (Queen), Band Fic, Best Friends, Crying, Declarations Of Love, Epic Friendship, Fashion & Couture, Gen, Hugs, Insecurity, Old Brian May/Roger Taylor, Past Character Death, Rog is irascible and loyal, Sad Brian May, Swearing, Touring, What-If, shouting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-15
Updated: 2020-01-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:53:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22269715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1f_this_be_madness/pseuds/1f_this_be_madness
Summary: On tour, there are costumes and looks and everybody's got something to work on.But when a friend looks good, always looks good, you've got to let him know it, right? Even if he isn't going to believe you...(Or, on a Queen + Adam Lambert concert tour, a conversation occurs between Brian and Roger)
Relationships: Brian May & Freddie Mercury, Brian May & Roger Taylor, Freddie Mercury & Roger Taylor
Comments: 8
Kudos: 47





	You May Not Believe It...

Brian May looks very healthy and handsome at his age, and he's got a cumulus cloud of hair that almost glows under the lights onstage. Those perfect rocker curls. He still unbuttons his shirts partway, and looks lovely and stylish whilst wearing shimmery fabrics of both bright and dark hues. Yet he doesn't know.

Of course he doesn't know.

"YOU STILL DON'T KNOW HOW FUCKING FANTASTIC YOU ARE, DO YOU? THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!"

Roger, exploding when Brian walks into the ready room before a show on their tour, after Bri asks "How do I look? I'm not sure about this shirt, I don't--"

"OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE! YOU LOOK GREAT, YOU BASTARD.”

Adam Lambert, about to come into the room as well, hears this and turns right around. Smart choice, never interrupt Roger Taylor.

Roger is on a roll. "FUCKING HELL, I'M IN GODDAMN MONOCHROME WITH MY FUCKING PINK SHOES, I NEED YOUR DAMN BRIGHT NATURAL STYLE, DAMN IT, BRIAN!"

"Roger--"

"You still dress THE FUCKING SAME and I can't without Fred, but you look good, you've ALWAYS looked good, so fix your fucking perfect hair and shut the fuck up." Roger shakes his head and collapses to sit in the corner of their black couch, rubbing a hand down across his beard.

Brian lifts his hands a trifle shakily to his hair, wondering what's wrong with it, only to see Roger roll bleary furious blue eyes and he realises Roger thinks there's nothing wrong with it, of course; he just knows Brian and knows how he tries to fix even what is not broken.

And yet something is broken here. Brian thinks on the words Roger just shouted at him, the ones about him not being able to dress the same without Freddie. But Brian can. 

"What-- what do you mean, Roger? Are you saying I... I've gotten past Freddie, that I--" his voice chokes off and Roger's eyes bulge. His shouts have decreased in volume a bit.

"Fuck it, Brian, no. I was just saying you know who the fuck you are in your style, that's all!"

Brian stares at him seriously, knowing his mate well enough to know exactly when he has something else to say. "Roger. That most certainly isn't all."

The drummer sighs and rakes fingers through his short white hair before his eyes flicker. "Fine, it's not all. You seem so content, Brian; you work so hard and you're so, well you seem so bloody happy and yet then you're fucking asking me whether or not you look alright and you get this gigantic black cloud over your head and--" Roger throws up his hands vehemently and rises, striding around the room. "I just want you to be confident about yourself and know I think you're wonderful, you stubborn insecure bastard! But it's not about what I think, it's about you." Roger's sweet high voice has fallen to a low growl, firm but gentle also, somehow, as he steps up close to Brian. "Do you know how great you are, Brian? Have you learnt to love, or at least to fucking like, anything about yourself?"

Brian opens and closes his mouth, blinking. He is forever taken aback by how vehemently Roger cares for him, how intensely loyal and loving he is. Though Bri isn't surprised. Never surprised anymore. He just truly has no idea what to say, and Roger recognises that.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," the drummer says again, tone entirely different this time, and he reaches out to Brian. "Come here, you insufferable giant."

Brian's face crinkles as he smiles at his best mate's particular brand of affection and comes in, dipping his face to rest it atop Roger's hair as Rog tugs at him, wrapping both arms around Brian and holding him tightly. As though to make his own love for Bri into a blanket, the warmth of which will seep through, into his body and his brain, to get Brian to love himself as much as Roger loves him. It is a constant battle that will no doubt continue for, well, the rest of their lives.

"I love you, Rogie," Brian says softly into Roger's hair as he hugs back. "And I...well, I'm still doing my best to like, well. To love myself."

Roger buries his head in Brian's chest and hangs on even harder. His muffled response is "That's all I fucking want, you pillock." It's all he's ever wanted. Roger tilts his head back and locks his eyes on Brian's. "I love you too, Bri. So bloody much. And I will--" His high voice is now a nearly silent, wobbling croak as his tall friend strokes his hair. "Always."

"And you know," Roger sniffs and shakes his head, almost as if he still has that glorious golden hair "If you weren't worthy of something, of worth loving, I'd have dropped your lanky arse ages ago." Roger has to keep reminding Bri of all his worth, he wants his love to stick. Needs Brian to know he's worthy of it. "Why the fuck d'you think we've been friends for fifty years?"

"But Roger, I--" Brian is ready to speak of his unworthiness.

"Brian, I say this with love. Shut up and fuck off." He slaps Brian on the chest bracingly and clears his throat as the guitarist blinks. "Now are we ready to go find Lambert and get this bloody show on the road? C'mon!" He whoops with excitement, and Brian smiles at him. This wonderful, exuberant, kind, loyal, sentimental man. Who hides that sentiment under swearing and snarky gruffness but does let it show sometimes. A few.

Brian's voice and the sentiments within are as sincere as they have ever been as he situates his collar, picks up his red special and responds "I'm ready to go wherever you are, Rog. Let's do it."

Roger beams, teeth flashing in that beautiful smile that fills his face with radiance and makes him look about twenty rather than seventy. His joy, like his love, is forever young and always growing, and Brian is so awed by and thankful for that.

**Author's Note:**

> Roger is irascible and loyal and such a wonderful friend. My thanks to him and Brian for their friendship. Thanks to my friend for being impressed by Brian's fashion and steadfast style with me :)
> 
> I experimented with my own style here, i.e. included a fair amount of all caps from Roger, which hopefully works out. Do tell me what you think.
> 
> This is probably the only Queen piece I'll include Adam Lambert in, for personal reasons. 
> 
> This piece's title is from an Elton John and Bernie Taupin composition entitled "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore".
> 
> Hope you like, comments appreciated <3


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